Over the past two decades, hundreds of thousands
of men and a growing number of women and children from Mexico and
other parts of Latin America have migrated to the Atlanta, Georgia
metropolitan region to find work in its thriving economy. According
to the Census,
Atlanta has experienced the most rapid Hispanic growth rate of all
major U.S. metro areas during these years. As a new immigrant destination,
Atlanta has presented distinct opportunities and constraints to
Mexicans and Central Americans seeking to live and work there. Immigrants
have been drawn by the huge demand for labor in the construction,
landscaping, restaurant, and service industries, and by the availability
of cheap housing in form of numerous low-rent apartment buildings.
But they have also faced serious restrictions
and discrimination as low-wage immigrant laborers, particularly
the large number of undocumented workers. Despite these constraints,
Latino immigrants have created cultural spaces for themselves. One
of these is a Latino-Catholic mission where immigrants can practice
their faith in a familiar and welcoming environment and find the
social and spiritual resources to deal with the hardships of migration
and adaptation to life in the U.S.
